SDG 8 and SDG 17: Youth Entrepreneurship in Focus at the IPU Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians

The 12th Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) took place on 4–5 September 2026 at the Silk Road Samarkand Congress Center in Samarkand. Umid Yakubkhodjaev, Member of Parliament of Uzbekistan, spoke as a panellist at Session 4, “Advancing youth economic rights and employment in an uncertain future,” held on 5 September. The session focused on implementing Sustainable Development Goal 8, Decent Work and Economic Growth.

In his remarks, Mr. Yakubkhodjaev described Uzbekistan’s systematic approach to supporting youth entrepreneurship, highlighting how education, initiative, access to finance and entry into new markets are interconnected. He noted that today an idea and funding alone are not enough for a young entrepreneur: new economic spaces and markets must also open up for them.

In this context, he emphasised that parliamentary diplomacy, deeper international economic integration and full use of agreements such as the Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between Uzbekistan and the European Union create new prospects for young businesses as well.

“As we prepare young people for global competition, we must also open the door to global opportunities wider for them,” said Mr. Yakubkhodjaev.